Fare thee well, Black Congo NC

The saying holds true and all good things must, indeed, come to an end. Charlotte's Black Congo NC will play its final show Dec. 12 at Snug Harbor with Yardwork and Snagglepuss. Black Congo front man (and Shuffle contributor) Eric Deines has announced his departure from the Queen City to pursue new endeavors in the frozen plains of Bloomington, Ind.

So far BCNC has left only a cryptic note confirming the band's demise: "OUR LAST SHOW EVER! probably," reads a description of the show's listing on Black Congo's Myspace.

Check out Black Congo before it's too late. The band will play three more shows, including the final show at Snug Harbor. Dates below.
Dec. 5 @ Nightlight, Chapel Hill, NC
Dec. 6 @ Chalet 2000, Charlotte, NC (Kinnikinnik's 3rd Annual Winter Warm-Up)
Dec. 12 @ Snug Harbor, Charlotte, NC

Future Kings Of Nowhere protest Proposition 8, then take a break, aka "Bummers beget bummers"

Two bits of news from the Future Kings of Nowhere camp (direct from its undisclosed location in or around Durham, NC): First, FKoN frontman Shayne O'Neill is urging all musicians to take part in a protest of the recently passed Proposition 8 legislation in California, and similar measures passed in other states, which officially bans same-sex marriage.

O'Neill writes:

Hey folks!

I'm not sure if you know this already, but on Dec. 10th, there is going to be a national strike/boycott/volunteer movement to protest the incredible injustice of Prop 8 and similar rulings that ban same-sex marriage across the country. As a musician, what I have decided to do (in addition to skipping out on my job for the day), is to record a short blurb that says something like this:

"Hi, this is Shayne from The Future Kings of Nowhere. You WOULD be hearing one of our songs right now, but we are joining with our brothers and sisters across the country in a nationwide strike to protest the injustice of Proposition 8 and similar rulings across the country that ban same-sex marriage....etc, etc."

My intent is to deliver this recording to the local radio stations and have them play it in lieu of any Future Kings songs they might otherwise have played on Dec. 10th. DJ Stevo has already agreed to help out with this at WKNC and I'm talking to folks at WXDU and WXYC about it now. I'm telling you all of this because I would really like for this to be more than one band going on strike for the day, and you are either in a band or know someone who is (or both!). Would your band be willing to go on strike for the day with us? I'll collect these blurbs (in mp3 format) from as many bands as I can and bring them to the radio stations to help spread the message about what is happening in the name of equal rights.

You can send the mp3s to me at futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com. Or, if it makes it easier for you, I'll come to where you are and record you directly onto my laptop. It would only take a few minutes, and I don't mind traveling around to collect them. To set this up, either drop me an email at futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com or call me at (919) 923-6230.

If you could, please please please forward this email to everyone you know who is involved in the music industry. Imagine what a powerful statement we could make if all of the local bands in the Triangle went on strike together for a day!

Thank you!

Shayne O'Neill

The Future Kings of Nowhere

futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com

On the very heels of this announcement comes bummer No. 2. The Future Kings of Nowhere have gone on hiatus. Since, it's usually best to keep the goodbyes intact, here's the blog post from FKon regarding the break:

After our last 4 shows in December, The Future Kings of Nowhere will be going on hiatus. We have played a ton of shows over the past few years and have had a ton of fun, but I'm frankly a bit worn out. I'm stunned when I look back at all of my life goals that I've already accomplished in this band; playing at CBGBs, getting reviewed in magazines, opening for one of my musical heroes (twice!), getting radio play all over the country, being able to use the band to help promote some good causes, going on some long tours. Not to mention the incredible thrill of connecting with an audience while you all sing along with our songs. On the flipside, we've spent a ridiculous amount of time and money pursuing this, and I've let that pursuit do some real damage to some important friendships. Somewhere in the last year or so, this whole thing turned from fun into serious work. Everything has become opportunity cost and promotion. I know that anything good takes effort, and I'm not scared of putting my back into my music, but I never wanted to be a businessman. I got into this because I loved playing music and when I sang these songs it felt like it was going to save my life. I feel like there is something that I've lost about what it means to really truly love what you're doing, and I need to take a little while to figure out what I forgot.

We'll still be around though. I'll still be playing drums with Resist Not, Mike will be playing washboard with Midtown Dickens, and Jon will still be playing the coffee machine at 3 Cups. Thank you all...from the bottom of our hearts...for buying our albums and coming to our shows and singing along and telling your friends and giving us couches to sleep on and meals to eat while we were on the road. And hopefully, in a few months we'll be rested and ready to go again.

xoxo,
Shayne, Mike and Jon

Those last four shows listed below.
Dec. 4 @ Tir Na Nog, Raleigh, NC
Dec. 5 @ The cave, Chapel Hill, NC
Dec. 14 @ Nara Sushi, Richmond, VA
Dec. 15 @ Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC (Trekky Christmas at the Cradle)

Video Roundup

Columbia's Death Becomes Even The Maiden recently unveiled its first-ever music video, for "Frames" from 2007's The Arrangement EP.


Meanwhile, fellow Columbia resident Chris Smith--better known as Sunshone Still--unveiled the moving picture component of "Klamath Lake" from Ten Cent American Novels.


A few miles farther north, Chapel Hill's Felix Obelix--the solo project of Wendy Spitzer who also moonlights in Lemming Malloy and The Gates of Beauty--released a video for "The Heart Monitor" to preview Felix Obelix's forthcoming EP.

Felix Obelix-The Heart Monitor from Billy Sugarfix on Vimeo.

And lastly, Chapel Hill's Embarrassing Fruits give us their first video, for "The First Time" from this summer's EP of the same name.

The First Time from Joe N. on Vimeo.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We at Shuffle are thankful for this:

The Have And The Have Nots release EP

Charlotte duo The Have And Have Nots announced the release of their debut EP, Vanity Of Vanities. Recorded by Bo White (Calabi Yau, Yardwork, Black Congo NC), the EP will bear the Kinnikinnik imprint and will be celebrated with a Nov. 30 release party at Snug Harbor. Matthew Paul Butler opens with his full band, The Beards of Power.

New Lost In The Trees videos

Chicago-based blog Cosign recently unveiled three exclusive videos of Lost In The Trees playing in a Windy City alley amidst the band's recent tour in support of All Alone In An Empty House.

"All Alone In An Empty House"

Cosign Presents Lost In The Trees
by cosignpresents

"Wooden Walls Of This Forest Church"

Cosign Presents Lost In The Trees
by cosignpresents

"For Leah and Chloe"

Cosign Presents Lost In The Trees
by cosignpresents

Kingsbury Manx album details

Long standing Chapel Hill pop-rockers (and avid Tar Heel basketball fans) The Kingsbury Manx have announced a finalized track list for their forthcoming fifth LP--and first since 2005's Yep Roc-released The Fast Rise And Fall of The South.

The as-yet-untitled, 14-track record is off being mastered, but the Manx is willing to share its table of contents:
1. Walk on Water
2. Over the Oeuvre
3. Black & Tan (streaming at Myspace)
4. Well, Whatever
5. Mend/Move
6. Crest
7. These Three Things
8. Minos Maze
9. Galloping Ghosts
10. Signs
11. Shoulder Stories
12. Whip & The World
13. Indian Isle
14. George Closing

New Bon Iver EP

One-time Raleigh denizen Justin Vernon, a.k.a. Bon Iver, has finally announced a follow-up to For Emma, Forever Ago, the ex- DeYarmond Edison front man's debut under the Bon Iver moniker. The four-song Blood Bank EP will hit U.S. stores Jan. 20 via Jagjaguwar on CD and 12" vinyl (complete with MP3 coupon).

Blood Bank track list
01 Blood Bank
02 Beach Baby
03 Babys
04 Woods

Free song from Chris Stamey and Yo La Tengo

Honoring the election of Barack Obama, Yep Roc Records and Chris Stamey have decided to release the song "V.O.T.E.," from Stamey's 2004 LP with Yo La Tengo, A Question of Temperature. The half-minute noise-pop PSA plays like "Schoolhouse Rock" facing its amps, reminding the populace to exercise its civil duty through a haze of blazing guitar. Voting never sounded so fun.

Download the track here.

Want Julian Koster to sing Christmas carols at your house?

Julian Koster, the Music Tapes frontman and former member of Neutral Milk Hotel, has announced a caroling tour in support of his holiday album The Singing Saw At Christmastime--all your favorite holiday jams performed entirely on the singing saw--out now on Merge Records. Right now, he's lookign for venues at which to bring his merry tour of Music Tapes songs and singing saw holiday tunes.

He'll be in Chapel Hill Nov. 12 and Charlotte the afternoon of Nov. 13. Details on how to get involved with the tour are copied below from a Merge press release.

Julian and the saws are planning a tour to several cities and are offering to come caroling at your house. All you have to do is invite them! At each house, Julian will play a few songs of the Music Tapes, and the saws will play a few of their holiday favorites for hosts and their assembled guests. And then, on they will go to the next house.

Households that would like to invite Julian and his friends to come carol may do so up until the night before the carolers arrive in your town by sending an invitation to musictapescaroling@gmail.com or by mailing a written invitation to:

Music Tapes Caroling

c/o G. Stewart

175 Talmadge Street, Apt. 1

Athens, GA 30605

Written invitations will be given priority, should arrive a few days before the carolers arrive, and include an email address or telephone number for reply. Invitations where the inviters indicate that they would be willing to entertain outside guests on caroling night are preferred. Once the limit on houses on a given night has been reached, the address of each house that will welcome guests will be distributed via email to all who email musictapescaroling@gmail.com and ask to attend. The addresses of the houses will not be posted online.

These will be caroling events (not house concerts) and there will be no monetary recompense of any kind asked for. People who wish to make a donation to the Carolers Travel Fund via the orbitinghumancircus.com website where all Caroling updates and information will be found.

Caroling Dates:

Nov 11th Savannah, GA

Nov 12th Chapel Hill, NC

Nov 13th Charlotte, NC (afternoon) / Atlanta, Ga

Nov 14th Athens, GA

Nov 16th Nashville, TN

Nov 17th St. Louis, MO

Nov 18th Memphis, TN

Nov 19th Hammond / Baton Rouge LA

Nov 20th Houston, TX

Nov 21st Austin, TX

Nov 22nd Denton, TX

Nov 24th Lawrence KS

Nov 26th Minneapolis, MN

Nov 27th Madison, WI

Nov 28th Chicago IL

Nov 29th Grand Rapids/Lansing, MI

Nov 30th Ann Arbor area, MI

Dec 1st Toronto, Canada

Dec 3rd Buffalo, NY

Dec 4th Geneseo, NY

Dec 5th Oswego, NY

Dec 6th Bennington, VT

Dec 7th New London, NH

Dec 8th Boston / Cambridge, MA

Dec 12th Philadelphia, PA

Dec 13th NYC

Dec 14th NYC

Dec TBA Maine

The Avett Brothers' Carolina Christmas

Newly signed American Records artists The Avett Brothers announced a series of holiday-time shows in North Carolina. First the band will hold a three-night stand at The Orange Peel in Asheville, Dec. 26-28, then the trio rings in the new year with a two-night stand at Charlotte's Belk Theatre Dec. 30 and 31. Tickets for all five shows are on sale Friday (Nov. 7) at 10 a.m. Seeing as The Avetts' recent N.C. shows have all sold out, a "good luck" is in order to anybody hoping to snag tickets.